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TINTTED STATES; PATENT OFFTCE.

BENJAMIN BURLING, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

PROPELLER FOR CANALS.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, BENJAMIN BUBLING, of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Propelling Canal-Boats and other Crafts by Steam; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a longitudinal vertical section of a canal boat represented as being propelled according` to my invention. Fig. 2, a plan or ton view of do.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

This invention consists in having the canal boat or other craft constructed with a well hole or recess at its stern to receive a steam tug of proper dimensions which is connected with the vessel by means of a shackle or other suitable coupling as hereinafter fully shown and described.

The object of the invention is to apply steam power to the vessel in such a manner that the necessary machinery for effecting the purpose will not be inseparably connected with it, but rendered capable rof being readily detached in case of accident, the propeller unaffected by the varying draft of the vessel so as to work with equal efficiency at all times, the power applied in a very economical manner and with the smallest possible sacrifice of the tonnage capacity of the vessel. To enable those skilled Vin the art to fully understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A, represents a canal boat which may be constructed in the usual way, with the eX- ception that a well hole a is formed in or at its stern. This well hole corresponds in shape to a steam tug B, which is fitted within said well hole and is secured to the boat by a link or shackle Z), which is attached to a stanchion c, at the bow of the tug B, and is tted loosely over a corresponding stanchion (l, on the boat A, and at the front end of the well hole a.

The steam tug B, is allowed to fit easily in the well hole so that it may pass freely in and out, and the stanchions c, d, are made of such height that the boat A, may rise 23,010, dated February 22, 1859*.

and fall or draw more or less water without affecting the steam tug B, or disconnecting it from the boat, the stanchion d, being allowed to rise and fall freely within the shackle b. This will be clearly understood by referring to Fig. l.

The size of the well hole of course will depend on the size of the boat to be propelled, as the well hole must receive a tug of suiiicient power and dimensions to propel the boat.

, There is of course nothing peculiar in the form of the steam tug, they being of ordinary boat shape, as shown in the drawings. Any suitable form of steam engine may be used, and a propeller C, is employed at the stern of the tug, as shown clearly in Fig. l.

I do not conne myself to any precise form or arrangement of machinery either in the way of a steam engine or propeller.

From the above description it will be seen that in case of accident the steam tug B, may be readily detached from the boat A, and neither the boat or cargo will be liable to injury in consequence of any accident that might occur on the tug. It will also be seen that the boat may rise and fall and draw more or less water according to its draft without affecting the tug B, in the least, and the propeller C, will always be properly submerged so as to act with the same efficiency at all times. The tonnage capacity is only reduced to an amount equivalent to the space lost by the well hole, and this amount is less than if a steam engine were placed in the boat, for by my invention the boat does not require to be built any ronger than usual, whereas if the engine were placed in the boat it would require to be strongly built in order to support the necessary machinery and not be strained racked `and otherwise injured by the working of the same. This therefore would be attended with a great additional expense, as well as reducing the capacity of the boat by extra bracing, heavy timbers and the like. The tug also by being thus applied to the vessel or boat does not in the least interfere with the navigation of the boat as the same may pass through locks equally as well as if the tug were not employed.

I would remark that several stanchions ci, may be applied to the boat A, so that the lthan if it were attached to the side of the tug may be 'sectlred to the same farther in l Having thus described my invention what or out of the Well hole as occasion may l I claim as new and desire to secure by Letrequre. ters Patent, is,

In certain cases owing to the speed of the Propelling canal boats or other craft, by boat the propeller C, may operate more means of a steam tug B, placed Within a Well efectually when at some distance back of hole a, at the stern, and connected therewith the stern, owing to the commotion of the by the shackle b, and stanchionsl c, d, or Water directly at the stern, the commotion their equivalents, substantially as and for being due to the displacement of the Water the purpose set forth.

b the aassaoe of the boat throuOh it.

y1 Woluld Femm-k that less reist-ance isl BENJ BURLING offered by having the tug applied as shown lVitnesses ALONZO FERGUSON,

boat as usual. S. F. HARTMAN. 

